Commenting on a 2.8% rise in the number of drugs used for the treatment of obesity prescribed in the last year, Liberal Democrat Health spokesperson Ross Finnie said:

“The rise of drugs to treat obesity is just one symptom of the rise of obesity in Scotland.

“We have become complacent about the obesity epidemic. It is a huge strain on the NHS which can be prevented.

“Government should concentrate its efforts on making sure the healthy eating message gets through. We need to tackle the root causes of obesity, like bad eating habits, before it is too late.

“Liberal Democrats want to see a fair society in which everyone has access to sports facilities and knows the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.”